antidepressants?

At one point should someone be put on antidepressants?

[HFHS M.D.-SW]

Dear Amy,

The first step to getting appropriate treatment is a complete evaluation to determine whether you have a depressive illness, and if so what type you have. Certain medications as well as some medical conditions can cause symptoms of depression and the examining physician should rule out these possibilities through examination, interview, and possibly lab tests.

Major Depression may be characterized by the following;

     Persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" mood

     Feelings of hopelessness, pessimism

     Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness

     Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities that were once
enjoyed, including sex

     Insomnia, early-morning awakening, or oversleeping

     Appetite and/or weight loss or overeating and weight gain

     Decreased energy, fatigue, being "slowed down"

     Thoughts of death or suicide; suicide attempts

     Restlessness, irritability

     Difficulty concentrating, remembering, making decisions


Treatment choice will depend on the outcome of the evaluation. There are a variety of antidepressant medications and
psychotherapies that can be used to treat depressive disorders. For moderate to severe depression, antidepressants are the treatment of choice.  If someone had only mild symptoms, psychotherapy and/or medication could be used.  Some sufferers do best with combined treatment: medication to gain relatively quick symptom relief and psychotherapy to learn more effective ways to deal with life's problems. Depending on your diagnosis and severity of symptoms, you may be prescribed medication and/or treated with one of the several forms of psychotherapy that have proven effective for depression.

I recommend a complete evaluation by a psychiatrist in order to determine the most appropriate treatment.

Best Wishes

HFHS M.D.-SW